Loons fall; Curletta a postseason All-Star

By the Midland Daily News

Published 6:30 am, Tuesday, August 26, 2014

DAYTON, Ohio — The Great Lakes Loons lost more ground in the Midwest League playoff hunt on Monday, as the Dayton Dragons shut out the visiting Loons 2-0 to open up a 1 1/2-game lead over Great Lakes for the fourth and final postseason berth in the Eastern Division.

The Dragons (30-33) scored twice in the bottom of the first inning and allowed only four hits, all singles, by the Loons (28-34).

Great Lakes has lost seven of its last nine.

Loons’ starter Zachary Bird (6-16) took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk, while striking out nine in five innings.

Dayton starter Nick Travieso (13-5) earned the win, going six innings and giving up three hits and no walks with five strikeouts.

Three other Dragons’ pitchers combined to throw three innings of one-hit ball.

Great Lakes and Dayton will conclude their three-game series today at 7 p.m., after which the Loons will host Lake County in a three-game series, beginning at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday. The Loons close out the regular season with a three-game road trip to West Michigan.

Meanwile, Loons’ rightfielder Joey Curletta has been named to the Midwest League’s postseason All-Star team.

Meanwhile, Loons’ outfielder Joey Curletta was named to the Midwest League postseason All-Star team on Monday.

Curletta, a sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, is batting .278 with seven home runs and 65 runs batted in over 125 games.

He leads the Loons in hits (134) and RBIs, and is second in runs (59), doubles (29) and total bases (186). His average is the best among Loons’ players who have been with the team the entire season.

Curletta, 20, was a starter on the MWL Eastern Division mid-season All-Star team. He is the only Loon named to the postseason team, which was selected by league managers.

West Michigan outfielder Wynton Bernard was named the league’s MVP. Kane County’s Mark Johnson was named Manager of the Year.

West Michigan’s Buck Farmer, who earned a promotion to the Detroit Tigers, was named the league’s top righthanded starter.